List of National Football League annual passing touchdowns leaders

Wikimedia list article

This is a list of National Football League quarterbacks who have led the regular season in passing touchdowns each year. The record for touchdown passes in a season is held by Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos who threw 55 in 2013. Tom Brady has led the NFL in passing touchdowns in five different seasons, more than any other quarterback in NFL history; he is also the only quarterback to lead the NFL in passing touchdowns in three different decades.

Peyton Manning holds the single season passing touchdown record, passing for 55 touchdowns in 2013.

Passing touchdown leaders

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Set record*
Year Player TDs Team
1932 Arnie Herber (1) 9* Green Bay Packers
1933 Harry Newman 11* New York Giants
1934 Arnie Herber (2) 8 Green Bay Packers
1935 Ed Danowski 10 New York Giants
1936 Arnie Herber (3) 11* Green Bay Packers
1937 Bernie Masterson 9 Chicago Bears
1938 Bob Monnett 9 Green Bay Packers
1939 Frank Filchock (1) 11* Washington Redskins
1940 Sammy Baugh (1) 12* Washington Redskins
1941 Cecil Isbell (1) 15* Green Bay Packers
1942 Cecil Isbell (2) 24* Green Bay Packers
1943 Sid Luckman (1) 28* Chicago Bears
1944 Frank Filchock (2) 13 Washington Redskins
1945 Sid Luckman (2) 14 Chicago Bears
Bob Waterfield (1) Cleveland Rams
1946 Sid Luckman (3) 17 Chicago Bears
Bob Waterfield (2) Los Angeles Rams
1947 Sammy Baugh (2) 25 Washington Redskins
1948 Tommy Thompson 25 Philadelphia Eagles
1949 Johnny Lujack 23 Chicago Bears
1950 George Ratterman 22 New York Yanks
1951 Bobby Layne 26 Detroit Lions
1952 Jim Finks 20 Pittsburgh Steelers
Otto Graham (3) Cleveland Browns
1953 Bobby Thomason 21 Philadelphia Eagles
1954 Adrian Burk 23 Philadelphia Eagles
1955 Y. A. Tittle (1) 17 San Francisco 49ers
Tobin Rote (1) Green Bay Packers
1956 Tobin Rote (2) 18 Green Bay Packers
1957 Johnny Unitas (1) 24 Baltimore Colts
1958 Johnny Unitas (2) 19 Baltimore Colts
1959 Johnny Unitas (3) 32* Baltimore Colts
1960 Johnny Unitas (4) 25 Baltimore Colts
1961 Sonny Jurgensen (1) 32* Philadelphia Eagles
1962 Y. A. Tittle (2) 33* New York Giants
1963 Y. A. Tittle (3) 36* New York Giants
1964 Frank Ryan (1) 25 Cleveland Browns
1965 John Brodie (1) 30 San Francisco 49ers
1966 Frank Ryan (2) 29 Cleveland Browns
1967 Sonny Jurgensen (2) 31 Washington Redskins
1968 Earl Morrall 26 Baltimore Colts
1969 Roman Gabriel (1) 24 Los Angeles Rams
1970 John Brodie (2) 24 San Francisco 49ers
1971 John Hadl 21 San Diego Chargers
1972 Billy Kilmer 19 Washington Redskins
Joe Namath New York Jets
1973 Roman Gabriel (2) 23 Philadelphia Eagles
Roger Staubach Dallas Cowboys
1974 Ken Stabler (1) 26 Oakland Raiders
1975 Fran Tarkenton 25 Minnesota Vikings
Joe Ferguson Buffalo Bills
1976 Ken Stabler (2) 27 Oakland Raiders
1977 Bob Griese 22 Miami Dolphins
1978 Terry Bradshaw (1) 28 Pittsburgh Steelers
1979 Steve Grogan 28 New England Patriots
Brian Sipe Cleveland Browns
1980 Steve Bartkowski 31 Atlanta Falcons
1981 Dan Fouts (1) 33 San Diego Chargers
1982 Dan Fouts (2) 17 San Diego Chargers
Terry Bradshaw (2) Pittsburgh Steelers
Joe Montana (1) San Francisco 49ers
1983 Lynn Dickey 32 Green Bay Packers
1984 Dan Marino (1) 48* Miami Dolphins
1985 Dan Marino (2) 30 Miami Dolphins
1986 Dan Marino (3) 44 Miami Dolphins
1987 Joe Montana (2) 31 San Francisco 49ers
1988 Jim Everett (1) 31 Los Angeles Rams
1989 Jim Everett (2) 29 Los Angeles Rams
1990 Warren Moon 33 Houston Oilers
1991 Jim Kelly 33 Buffalo Bills
1992 Steve Young (1) 25 San Francisco 49ers
1993 Steve Young (2) 29 San Francisco 49ers
1994 Steve Young (3) 35 San Francisco 49ers
1995 Brett Favre (1) 38 Green Bay Packers
1996 Brett Favre (2) 39 Green Bay Packers
1997 Brett Favre (3) 35 Green Bay Packers
1998 Steve Young (4) 36 San Francisco 49ers
1999 Kurt Warner (1) 41 St. Louis Rams
2000 Peyton Manning (1) 33 Indianapolis Colts
Daunte Culpepper Minnesota Vikings
2001 Kurt Warner (2) 36 St. Louis Rams
2002 Tom Brady (1) 28 New England Patriots
2003 Brett Favre (4) 32 Green Bay Packers
2004 Peyton Manning (2) 49* Indianapolis Colts
2005 Carson Palmer 32 Cincinnati Bengals
2006 Peyton Manning (3) 31 Indianapolis Colts
2007 Tom Brady (2) 50* New England Patriots
2008 Drew Brees (1) 34 New Orleans Saints
Philip Rivers San Diego Chargers
2009 Drew Brees (2) 34 New Orleans Saints
2010 Tom Brady (3) 36 New England Patriots
2011 Drew Brees (3) 46 New Orleans Saints
2012 Drew Brees (4) 43 New Orleans Saints
2013 Peyton Manning (4) 55* Denver Broncos
2014 Andrew Luck 40 Indianapolis Colts
2015 Tom Brady (4) 36 New England Patriots
2016 Aaron Rodgers (1) 40 Green Bay Packers
2017 Russell Wilson 34 Seattle Seahawks
2018 Patrick Mahomes 50 Kansas City Chiefs
2019 Lamar Jackson 36 Baltimore Ravens
2020 Aaron Rodgers (2) 48 Green Bay Packers
2021 Tom Brady (5) 43 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2022 Patrick Mahomes (2) 41 Kansas City Chiefs
2023 Dak Prescott 36 Dallas Cowboys

Top 25 Single Season Passing Touchdown Seasons

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Updated through the 2022 season
Rank Player Team Season TD TD Pct. Int. Int. Pct.
1 Peyton Manning (1/3) Denver 2013 55 8.3 10 1.5
2 Tom Brady (1/4) New England 2007 50 8.7 8 1.4
Patrick Mahomes (1/2) Kansas City 2018 8.6 12 2.1
4 Peyton Manning (2/3) Indianapolis 2004 49 9.9 10 2.0
5 Dan Marino (1/2) Miami 1984 48 8.5 17 3.0
Aaron Rodgers (1/4) Green Bay 2020 9.1 5 1.0
7 Drew Brees (1/3) New Orleans 2011 46 7.0 14 2.1
8 Aaron Rodgers (2/4) Green Bay 2011 45 9.0 6 1.2
9 Dan Marino (2/2) Miami 1986 44 7.1 23 3.7
10 Drew Brees (2/3) New Orleans 2012 43 6.4 19 2.8
Tom Brady (2/4) Tampa Bay 2021 6.0 12 1.7
12 Kurt Warner St. Louis Rams 1999 41 8.2 13 2.6
Matthew Stafford (1/2) Detroit 2011 6.2 16 2.4
Matthew Stafford (2/2) Los Angeles Rams 2021 6.8 17 2.8
Patrick Mahomes (2/2) Kansas City Chiefs 2022 6.3 12 1.9
16 Andrew Luck (1/2) Indianapolis 2014 40 6.5 16 2.6
Aaron Rodgers (3/4) Green Bay 2016 6.6 7 1.1
Tom Brady (3/4) Tampa Bay 2020 6.6 12 2.0
Russell Wilson Seattle 2020 7.2 13 2.3
20 Brett Favre Green Bay 1996 39 7.2 13 2.4
Daunte Culpepper Minnesota 2004 7.1 11 2.0
Tom Brady (4/4) New England 2011 6.4 12 2.0
Aaron Rodgers (4/4) Green Bay 2012 7.1 8 1.4
Drew Brees (3/3) New Orleans 2013 6.0 12 1.8
Peyton Manning (3/3) Denver 2014 6.5 15 2.5
Andrew Luck (2/2) Indianapolis 2018 6.1 15 2.3
Rank Player Team Season TD TD Pct. Int. Int. Pct.

Other leagues

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All-America Football Conference (AAFC)

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Year Player TDs Team
1946 Otto Graham (1) 17 Cleveland Browns
1947 Otto Graham (2) 25 Cleveland Browns
1948 Frankie Albert (1) 29* San Francisco 49ers
1949 Frankie Albert (2) 27 San Francisco 49ers

American Football League (AFL)

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Year Player TDs Team
1960 Al Dorow 26 New York Titans
1961 George Blanda 36* Houston Oilers
1962 Len Dawson (1) 29 Dallas Texans
1963 Len Dawson (2) 26 Kansas City Chiefs
1964 Babe Parilli 31 Boston Patriots
1965 Len Dawson (3) 21 Kansas City Chiefs
1966 Len Dawson (4) 26 Kansas City Chiefs
1967 Daryle Lamonica (1) 30 Oakland Raiders
1968 John Hadl 27 San Diego Chargers
1969 Daryle Lamonica (2) 34 Oakland Raiders

Most titles

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Titles Player Years Team
5 Tom Brady 2002, 2007, 2010, 2015, 2021 New England Patriots (4) / Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1)
4 Johnny Unitas 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960 Baltimore Colts
Len Dawson 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966 Kansas City Chiefs (AFL)
Steve Young 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998 San Francisco 49ers
Brett Favre 1995, 1996, 1997, 2003 Green Bay Packers
Drew Brees 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 New Orleans Saints
Peyton Manning 2000, 2004, 2006, 2013 Indianapolis Colts (3) / Denver Broncos (1)
3 Arnie Herber 1932, 1934, 1936 Green Bay Packers
Dan Marino 1984, 1985, 1986 Miami Dolphins
Sid Luckman 1943, 1945, 1946 Chicago Bears
Y.A. Tittle 1955, 1962, 1963 San Francisco 49ers (1) / New York Giants (2)

Johnny Unitas is the only player to win four titles in a row. Three players (Steve Young, Dan Marino and Brett Favre) have won three in a row.

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References

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